Grades: Spurs vs. Rockets - Nov. 11, 2018

[MultiTroll]

While any win against the Rockets is worth at least a subtle fist pump, this one was ugly. Houston was at the end of a five-game road trip and they looked a few steps slow. Add in a barrage of missed open jumpers by the Rockets and the Spurs didn't so much win this game as they managed (just barely at times) to not beat themselves.

Concur.

I will say HardenRef skewed the scoreboard but that's
todays NBA.

Timmy Duncs had to deal with it. It aint going away.

[Chinook]

One other thing I'll say is that I'm not sure if DeRozan will be the same type of player now that White is back. Dude isn't an off-ball guy, and with LMA needing to eat, they can't exactly do the switch-off thing DeMar and Lowry did. The real benefit to Derrick being back should be that they can limit DeRozan's minutes, but dude played 39 minutes despite having a number of stretches where the game where he should have been able to rest. Derrick has played 42 of his 46 minutes with DeRozan this year. Why? Like sure, their ceiling is higher with White playing anyway, but if he's just going to take touches away from DeRozan without limiting the wear and tear on DeMar's body, I don't think Pop's using him right.

The obvious retort to this argument is that Pop will stagger minutes better when he has Gay available. But there's still decent money on Pop starting Rudy along with the guards and in place of Cunningham. And if Rudy starts, history suggests that Pop will still find ways to have minutes without any of White, DeRozan, Gay or Aldridge on the court. I hope I'm wrong in this, though, and Pop instead makes sure to keep two of those players on the court at the same time. Should be doable, even if Rudy has to play like 24 mpg going forward.

[ceperez]

One other thing I'll say is that I'm not sure if DeRozan will be the same type of player now that White is back. Dude isn't an off-ball guy, and with LMA needing to eat, they can't exactly do the switch-off thing DeMar and Lowry did. The real benefit to Derrick being back should be that they can limit DeRozan's minutes, but dude played 39 minutes despite having a number of stretches where the game where he should have been able to rest. Derrick has played 42 of his 46 minutes with DeRozan this year. Why? Like sure, their ceiling is higher with White playing anyway, but if he's just going to take touches away from DeRozan without limiting the wear and tear on DeMar's body, I don't think Pop's using him right.

The obvious retort to this argument is that Pop will stagger minutes better when he has Gay available. But there's still decent money on Pop starting Rudy along with the guards and in place of Cunningham. And if Rudy starts, history suggests that Pop will still find ways to have minutes without any of White, DeRozan, Gay or Aldridge on the court. I hope I'm wrong in this, though, and Pop instead makes sure to keep two of those players on the court at the same time. Should be doable, even if Rudy has to play like 24 mpg going forward.

Still too early to tell if White and DeRozan can play well together. At least we know that White can help Aldridge's game. Between the 3, I hope they can figure it all out!

Perhaps DeRozan is having problems in that he doesn't have Gay to assist to?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

One other thing I'll say is that I'm not sure if DeRozan will be the same type of player now that White is back. Dude isn't an off-ball guy, and with LMA needing to eat, they can't exactly do the switch-off thing DeMar and Lowry did. The real benefit to Derrick being back should be that they can limit DeRozan's minutes, but dude played 39 minutes despite having a number of stretches where the game where he should have been able to rest. Derrick has played 42 of his 46 minutes with DeRozan this year. Why? Like sure, their ceiling is higher with White playing anyway, but if he's just going to take touches away from DeRozan without limiting the wear and tear on DeMar's body, I don't think Pop's using him right.

The obvious retort to this argument is that Pop will stagger minutes better when he has Gay available. But there's still decent money on Pop starting Rudy along with the guards and in place of Cunningham. And if Rudy starts, history suggests that Pop will still find ways to have minutes without any of White, DeRozan, Gay or Aldridge on the court. I hope I'm wrong in this, though, and Pop instead makes sure to keep two of those players on the court at the same time. Should be doable, even if Rudy has to play like 24 mpg going forward.

I agree with this post. DeRozan needs the ball in his hands. Use White to keep DD fresh and let White play off the ball when they’re out there together. Get DeRozan down to 32-35 minutes a game but let him run the offense when he’s out there.

[TD 21]

Judging by what we saw tonight,

he's a legit 6-foot-4 point guard who plays bigger and faster than he looks at first glance

-- and does so with a high basketball IQ and advanced playmaking abilities.

Good observation. I was thinking the same thing.

He looks like he'll be what I thought: A better shooting Delon Wright, which means a high quality third guard and an archetype that meshes well in any lineup.

He ideally shouldn't be utilized as the lone creator on a unit, but with Murray out for the season and the dearth of them on this roster, he's going to have to serve as that some going forward to give DeRozan more rest.

(In fact, Cunningham really shouldn't be starting anymore. We'll see if Pop is starting to come to that realization or if it was just foul trouble that limited Cunningham's minutes.)

In an ideal world, of course not. On this poorly constructed roster, he's going to have to in obvious matchups. In ones where they don't need him to serve as a designated primary defender, starting Forbes makes more sense.

Either way, he needs to stop loitering on the baseline, cluttering up the spacing, space to 3 more and be more willing to let it fly.

Derrick has played 42 of his 46 minutes with DeRozan this year. Why? Like sure, their ceiling is higher with White playing anyway, but if he's just going to take touches away from DeRozan without limiting the wear and tear on DeMar's body, I don't think Pop's using him right.

The obvious retort to this argument is that Pop will stagger minutes better when he has Gay available. But there's still decent money on Pop starting Rudy along with the guards and in place of Cunningham. And if Rudy starts, history suggests that Pop will still find ways to have minutes without any of White, DeRozan, Gay or Aldridge on the court. I hope I'm wrong in this, though, and Pop instead makes sure to keep two of those players on the court at the same time. Should be doable, even if Rudy has to play like 24 mpg going forward.

Exactly. They can have their cake and eat it too. White needs to sub out at the under 6 timeout in the 1st/3rd, then sub back in for DeRozan late in each quarter and sub back out when DeRozan returns early 2nd/4th, with a decision made on closing during the game (he should clearly generally close though). That should put his average around 30 mpg.

Gay can be utilized the same way.

[tbdog]

If DD and white cannot work, them Murray and DD can't either.

[SAGirl]

I don't understand how this keeps happening. Bertans is often in good position and defends well all the way to the bucket, but it seems like EVERY shot he defends goes in.

Why is that? I think it's psychological ... NBA players look at Bertans and say "Here's another soft white Euro ... let me make him my ." And then they do! Wtf???

I think he's very weak... Too easy for NBA players to move off his spot.

[SAGirl]

The opponents are instructed by the coaching staff to force the shot when guarded by Bertans (and Mills, Forbes). Why force a shot against a better defender.

So this adds to the confidence. Also, I think Bertans just bounces of players in contact, so it doesn't actually alter a shot.

This

[Truth4sale$]

Very impressed with the play of of Forbes and White. The swing players performan remain in flux, and therefore a weak link. Cunningham is solid in the right matchups but Qpon is not the solution. Not sure why with both Gasol and Poeltl out, the Spurs dont bring up a more competent center in Amindah Brimah, who should have the other two way contract. Metu is not ready for the big time, he needs to be in the gleague already.

[rjv]

if metu is getting minutes, i really can't see why walker won't whenever he returns.

[superbigtime]

Thank you for the grades.

Really pleased w Forbes.

Is Marco really an asset?